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Evidence-Based Prerequisites and Precursors of Athletic Talent: A Review

Overview of attention for article published in Sports Medicine, May 2017
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About this Attention Score

  • In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (96th percentile)
  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (62nd percentile)

Mentioned by

news
3 news outlets
blogs
1 blog
twitter
69 X users
facebook
4 Facebook pages

Citations

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56 Dimensions

Readers on

mendeley
236 Mendeley
Title
Evidence-Based Prerequisites and Precursors of Athletic Talent: A Review
Published in
Sports Medicine, May 2017
DOI 10.1007/s40279-017-0740-0
Pubmed ID
Authors

Vladimir B. Issurin

Abstract

Extensive findings related to nature and nurture in determining athletic talent (AT) have been reviewed. Available data demonstrate the important contribution of hereditary factors as well as the crucial importance of environmental prerequisites for identifying and developing AT. Recent publications provide examples of contemporary approaches intended to solve the problem of how to discover and nurture AT. A number of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies highlighted possibilities of revealing a predisposition to certain sports among youthful prospects, but were unable to predict attainment of world-class status. Data pertaining to Olympic champions indicate that their superiority compared with other elite athletes is determined by high intrinsic motivation, determination, dedication, persistence, and creativity. These salient manifestations of personality could be successfully recognized even in the initial stages of their preparation, where exceptionally gifted individuals manifested high learnability and a high rate of athletic improvement. Moreover, future champions were characterized by an exceptional attitude to training and a willingness to perform more voluminous and high-quality training routines. Exceptionally talented athletes in endurance, power, and combat sports attained world-class status after 4-7 years of specialized preparation, accumulating 3000-7000 h of purposeful training. This stands in contradiction to Ericsson's theory of deliberate practice and the 10-year rule. In contrast, Olympic artistic gymnastics champions attained world-class status following an average of 9.7 years of specialized preparation, accumulating an average of 8918 h of specialized training. Apparently, the theory of 10,000 h of deliberate practice and the 10-year rule are selectively applicable to highly coordinative esthetic sports but not to general preparation trends in endurance, power, and combat sports.

X Demographics

X Demographics

The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 69 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 236 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Singapore 1 <1%
Unknown 235 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Master 42 18%
Student > Ph. D. Student 29 12%
Student > Bachelor 25 11%
Researcher 20 8%
Student > Doctoral Student 14 6%
Other 38 16%
Unknown 68 29%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Sports and Recreations 119 50%
Psychology 9 4%
Medicine and Dentistry 7 3%
Nursing and Health Professions 6 3%
Social Sciences 6 3%
Other 17 7%
Unknown 72 31%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 75. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 11 April 2023.
All research outputs
#586,798
of 25,984,519 outputs
Outputs from Sports Medicine
#543
of 2,916 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#11,803
of 329,222 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Sports Medicine
#12
of 32 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,984,519 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 97th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,916 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 57.4. This one has done well, scoring higher than 81% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 329,222 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 96% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 32 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 62% of its contemporaries.